Speech by Gloria Brown Anderson, President, World Editors Forum

Opening Ceremony, 55th World Newspaper Congress and 11th World Editors Forum

Istanbul, Turkey, 31 May 2003

Mr Prime Minister, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

We are today honoring a young journalist from Uzbekistan, Ruslan Sharipov, for his courageous work in favor of freedom of expression in the face of the most appalling persecution by President Islam Karimov’s repressive regime.

I am sorry to say that Ruslan could not be with us today to accept his Golden Pen of Freedom because he remains under house arrest, which followed 10 months in prison on trumped up charges intended to punish and silence him.

Up to the last minute, we had hoped to be able to present the award to Ruslan personally. W-A-N and its friends and supporters around the world -- including many people in this room today -- worked hard to convince Uzbek authorities to free him. We wrote letters and met with Uzbek representatives and petitioned governments we had hoped might have influence with them.

Quite simply, the Uzbek government confidently, and even arrogantly, believes that it can abuse human rights and ignore international criticism, probably because in today’s difficult world, it holds a key strategic position in the war against terror. The Uzbek government, and many outside observers, see the country as a bulkhead against Islamic terrorism. It shares a border with Afghanistan, hosts a major US airbase, and is fighting terrorists who advocate overthrowing the government and establishing a radical Islamic state.

But Uzbekistan is a leading example of a nation which is using the fight against terrorism to justify widespread repression of freedom of information and other human rights. President Karimov and his secret police and security forces have extended these restrictions far beyond the fight against terror, delaying or abandoning democratic reforms and mercilessly harassing all opposition and free voices and pens. In this environment, who can deny that domestic discontent with repression might be a contributing factor to the terrorism itself?

Fortunately, there are many in the international community who reject Uzbekistan’s approach.

The country’s largest foreign investor, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, recently suspended much of its lending to Uzbekistan because of the government’s failure to carry out promised democratic, economic and human rights reforms. That a major intergovernmental lending agency considers human rights in its lending decisions must be applauded. W-A-N and other international organisations will continue to call on the international community to demand that Uzbekistan stop using its role in the terror war as an excuse for its draconian repression.

The country run by Islam Karimov is a throwback to the Soviet era. With a population of nearly 26 million, it has more than 6,500 political prisoners, according to independent human rights groups. Genuine public opposition is barred and the press is muzzled. President Karimov, who has been the country’s only president since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, secured a constitutional amendment two years ago extending his term until 2007.

Mr Karimov is often referred to as a "strongman" but, in reality, he is weak. He uses all the repressive acts of a despot to hold on to power because his administration would not stand if his people were free to choose their own destiny through democracy.

He is weak because he fears people like 25-year-old Ruslan Sharipov, who has endured unspeakable hardships, including beatings and torture, because he has refused to bow to pressure to drop his criticism of the government and to stop his human rights work.

Ruslan was sentenced to four years in prison in August 2003 on charges of "engaging in homosexual acts." Neither the World Association of Newspapers, the World Editors Forum or any of the other organisations which have investigated Ruslan’s case doubt that the real reason for his continued persecution is punishment for his human rights activities.

Ruslan is the founder of the Union of Independent Journalists of Uzbekistan and a correspondent for the Moscow Human Rights Agency. Before his imprisonment, he reported regularly on the state of the media and press freedom in Uzbekistan, and about human rights violations in the country.

Ruslan was held in a high security prison until March, when he was transferred to a type of house arrest -- he is allowed to spend his nights with relatives but he must spend his days in prison. This might sound better than being in prison full-time, but there are dangers. There are fears for his safety outside of prison, and he risks being sent back to complete his four-year sentence if he violates the conditions of his house arrest. These conditions include a ban on journalistic or human rights activities.

But, if all goes well, he is due for early release on June 11, less than two weeks from now. Those who know him have no doubt that he will fearlessly continue his good works. In making this award today, W-A-N and the World Editors Forum call on President Karimov to cease the harassment of Ruslan Sharipov and other independent journalists and to respect every citizen’s basic right to freedom of expression. We would ask our guests here today from ministries and embassies to encourage their governments to continue pressuring the Uzbek regime to respect the rights of its people and to initiate promised, and long overdue, reforms.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would now like to call on Elena Urlaeva, a colleague of Ruslan’s, and an activist for human rights in Uzbekistan, to come forward and accept the Golden Pen of Freedom on his behalf. Thank you.